Learner Agency in AI-Mediated English Language Learning: A Multiple Case Study  of EFL University Students

Ishak Taulany

doi:10.24256/ideas.v14i2.11625

Authors

Ishak Taulany Institut Agama Islam Negeri Bone, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24256/ideas.v14i2.11625

Keywords:

Learner Agency; AI-Mediated English Learning; Thematic Analysis

Abstract

Advancements in Artificial Intelligence have transformed how students learn English by providing rapid and accessible learning support. However, research on learner agency in AI-mediated English learning has largely focused on student perceptions, leaving a gap in understanding how learner agency manifests during actual interactions with AI. This study aims to explore how English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students exercise learner agency within AI-mediated English learning. It employs a qualitative approach with a multiple-case study design, enabling the identification of both consistent patterns and variations across cases; each participant is treated as a distinct case representing unique experiences and patterns of learner agency, thereby fostering a deep understanding of agency across diverse contexts of AI usage among 15 undergraduate EFL students. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, AI interaction logs, and stimulated recall interviews, and subsequently analyzed using Thematic Analysis. The findings reveal that learner agency manifests through students' efforts to maintain control over the learning process, negotiate trust in AI through critical evaluation, and make strategic decisions during interactions with AI. These findings offer pedagogical implications for educators regarding the design of learning experiences that foster critical evaluation, decision-making, and responsible AI use. Conceptually, the study posits that learner agency in AI-mediated English learning is a dynamic and relational process shaped by the interplay between the student, the AI, and the learning context.

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